No Fireworks At NBA Draft, Just More Looking Toward Future For Celtics
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- That quick rebuild the Celtics and their fans were hoping for went out the window at the 2016 NBA Draft.
The day started with a handful of enticing trade rumors that just got hotter (and more appealing) as the day went on. Names like Chicago's Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia's Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor and Milwaukee's Khris Middleton and Greg Monroe. As the draft drew closer, it seemed like a deal, any deal, was imminent. Danny Ainge was controlling the first-round, making teams break the bank for that third pick.
But in the end, the offers weren't anything the Celtics were interested in. Wyc Grousbeck called them "rip-off attempts" the team laughed, quickly ending those discussion. So instead of a Butler, or at worst, a Noel/Okafor, the Celtics were on the clock at No. 3. And then No. 16. And then No. 23.
There was no way Danny Ainge could actually draft eight guys, right? Well, he didn't. Instead he traded his first two picks of the second-round for a 2019 pick.
Like just about everything the Celtics did on Thursday night, it was a move made with an eye towards the future, which was not exactly what fans were hoping for following another first-round playoff exit in April.
Thursday night was all about taking a long-term view. Jaylen Brown, who was drafted third, has a lot of promise but he needs a lot of polish. He's an extremely athletic forward who can attack the basket and is already touted as a stellar defender, but he needs to work on his jumper.
That's a bit frustrating because shooting help is one of Boston's biggest needs this offseason.
They also needed some size to protect the rim. There was hope they could have addressed that with their other two first-round selections, No. 16 and No. 23. They kind of did, but both of their selections, French forward Guerschon Yabusele and Croation center Anti Zizic, will likely head overseas for a year or two of seasoning.
No, there were no fireworks on Thursday night. As good as Brown could be, it's hard to even say the Celtics lit a sparkler.
Now the Celtics turn their attention to the start of free agency on July 1 to improve on last year's squad. That has never been very successful for Boston's basketball team, but the the C's brass is once again hoping for big things with room to add a pair of max contracts this summer. The offseason is still young and a lot can still happen to improve on the 48-win Celtics of 2015-16.
But it's easy to feel extremely underwhelmed -- and for some, downright angry -- by a draft night that was supposed to be special. We've been waiting for the Celtics to cash in on their throng of high draft picks courtesy of the lowly Brooklyn Nets from the 2013 KG/Paul Pierce trade, and the third overall selection seemed to be just the start. It was a great chance to take a step forward. But that wasn't the case Thursday night, with another young player for the young Boston roster and two more youngsters going overseas, it feels like a sidestep, if not a step back.
The good news is the Celtics still have two more first-round picks from the Nets, who are showing no signs of getting better anytime soon. Boston has several promising players on the roster, and Brad Stevens appears to be the right guy to lead them. Danny Ainge is a master at collecting assets, and he added more to his heap on Thursday night. But that probably won't help the 2016-17 Celtics, unless he can pull find another miracle trade like the Garnett acquisition in 2007.
You're right to feel let down by Thursday night's results for the Celtics. While it's important to always keep an eye toward the future, at some point it would be nice to improve the present.
